Is any aspect of what you plan on doing in the next sixty minutes going to get you closer to your goals?

If your answer is no, then why the heck are you doing it? Or, why are your goals and your actions so mismatched?

You see, being too busy is rarely about a shortage of time. The problem often boils down to priorities.

Most people do not know their priorities, so they spend waaaay too much time on things that are actually unimportant.

Without identified goals that create tangible priorities, actions are hit and miss.

Action - What are your goals for this week, this month, this year? And have you actually sat down and made a list of your priorities?

Yes, figuring out your goals and priorities takes conscious effort, but you will be much farther ahead this time next year if you choose to devote time to this task now!

Two emails landed in my inbox last week wanting the same answer. And the question was essentially this – with all this work, no time, no results, and constant stress, how can I be happy?

American broadcaster Hugh Downs answered the question best - “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”

Yes, of course, there are challenging situations, stressful moments and big demands. Yet some people ARE happy despite seemingly overwhelming circumstances.

So, the only difference then is a set of attitudes that create the response of happiness or that create the response of sadness.

Action - What do you sense is your primary attitude to a current situation you are struggling with? Do you feel victimized or abandoned? Hard done by? Are you determined to be right at all costs?

Instead of looking outside of yourself for the answers, look within. It’s always the best place to start.